SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A total of seven St. Francis High students were honored for their future participation in collegiate sports during the preparatory school's spring National Letter of Intent and College Commitment celebration Tuesday morning.
The spring ceremony is the second of two such events for the school, which recognized 11 students in a similar showcase back on November 9.
"The opportunity to compete at the collegiate level is a reward for the dedication and hard work that these young women exhibit everyday as Troubadours," said Ryan Chisolm, St. Francis' first-year athletics director. "I could not be more proud of their achievements, and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish at the next level."
Alphabetically, the honorees were Jazlyn Basquez (Folsom Lake College, softball), Sarah Charles (Chapman, track & field), Isabella De La Cruz (Pacific University, soccer), Emily Kroettinger (Navy, rowing), Paige Quigley (Seton Hall, cross country), Ava Stimson (Toronto, water polo), Daphne Witherell (Amherst, cross country/track & field).
A detailed profile for each of Tuesday's honorees is available below:
JAZLYN "JAZZY" BASQUEZ
SOFTBALL • FOLSOM LAKE COLLEGE
All-Delta League honoree as a sophomore in 2021... Hit .250/.291/.365 with six doubles that year, and committed no errors in the field... Only has three career errors through April 13 of senior year (110 total chances), primarily as a middle infielder... Full name is Jazlyn Izabella Basquez but nicknamed "Jazzy" and Jazzy Smooth," the latter of which appears on her headband... Played travel ball for California Breeze and Firecrackers... Involved with SF Ministry Leadership and volunteered at parishes for an environmental group... Plans to study psychology in college.
SARAH CHARLES
TRACK & FIELD • CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY
Lettered in both cross country and track & field... Primarily ran 200 and 400 in spring... Through April 13, ranks 9th in Sac-Joaquin Section with a 59.58 in the 400, posted at Rocklin's Thunder Invitational... First Troubadour to crack 60-second barrier in the event since Izzy Fauria in 2018... Qualified to 2022 Sacramento Meet of Champions in both 400 and as part of 4x400 relay... Competed at 2023 Arcadia Invite as 400 leg of SF's distance medley relay.
ISABELLA DE LA CRUZ
SOCCER • PACIFIC UNIVERSITY
Three-year goalkeeper for a SF varsity program that went 45-8-8 with three Delta League titles in that span... Split time at GK with fellow senior Ava Hawkinson in 2022-23, posting 57 saves with just nine goals allowed in 995 minutes (0.724 average)... Junior/senior totals were 78 saves with 16 goals allowed in 1,745 minutes (0.733 GAA)... Tallied five saves in final 15 minutes of 2-0 shutout against Whitney during Sac-Joaquin Section semifinal round last winter... Played all 80 minutes in final four games of 2023... Two-time MaxPreps Player of the Game as a senior... Also competes for San Juan Soccer Club's ECNL squad... Four-year Honor Roll selection... Member of Troubies for Shriners club and served as a camp counselor for St. Francis' Elite soccer camp... Participated in Cordova Food Locker holiday food distribution for three years... Plans to major in business as a Boxer.
EMILY KROETTINGER
ROWING • U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
Second-year member of Capital Crew Rowing Club, part of same 8+ crew as Maggie Waltz, who signed with Oregon State last fall... Helped team to 19th (out of 90) at Head of the Charles, 3rd at Southwest Championships, 2nd at Head of the Port, 3rd at Head of the American... Southwest finish earned berth to USRowing Youth Championships, held this June in Sarasota, Florida... Earned gold medal at Golden State Indoor Championship for U19 girls... Intends to study operations research or general engineering, with plans on becoming a fighter pilot... National Honors Society and California Scholarship Federation member (9th-12th)... Also competed in swimming and basketball at SF, and played competitive soccer (EDH Gold) and basketball (Sacramento Sting) prior to finding a home in a starboard seat.
Active in ministry leadership, Medicine And More, Society of Women Engineers, Robotics, Cybersecurity, Big Sister and Ambassador clubs and programs at St. Francis... President of National Charity League as 11th grader, plus stints as VP for that mother-daughter philanthropic organization as a sophomore and senior... Earned Merci Award for more than 100 hours of philanthropic service hours... Volunteered service includes Top Soccer (teaching special education children soccer), Sacramento Children's Museum, Blessings in a Backpack (servicing underprivileged children), Move America Forward (packing food for overseas troops), Twin Lakes Food Bank in Folsom, Power House Ministries (serving addiction recovery and abused individuals), Rockball Laboratory in Rancho Cordova (basketball training facility) and Girls Love Mail (writing letters of encouragement to cancer patients)... Qualified for and attended highly selective summer programs at Rose Hulman, U.S. Air Force Academy, Notre Dame and U.S. Naval Academy
PAIGE QUIGLEY
CROSS COUNTRY • SETON HALL UNIVERSITY
Lettered in both track and cross country... Earned team MVP and won second All-Delta League nod in cross country as a senior... Finished 2nd at Delta League Championships, one of six top-five meet finishes for the year... Went on to place 12th at Sac-Joaquin Section and 48th at state championship meets... Nominated for CA Girls Cross Country Runner of the Week following runner-up finish at William Jessup Invitational in September... Member of four straight Delta League-champion teams... Other cross country highlights prior to senior year: 2nd in frosh/soph 2.1-mile race at 2019 section meet, 2nd in JV 5K (behind teammate Ryann Strawn) at 2021 sections, won Frosh Gold 3-mile race at 39th Woodbridge Classic in 2019... Missed early part of track & field season due to injury, but qualified for Sacramento Meet of Champions in Open 3,200 for second straight year... Also member of 4x800 relay at prestigious Arcadia Invitational on April 8... Key personal records are 11:21.5 in 3,200 at 2022 HOKA Postal Nationals, 5:32.56 in 1,600 at 2021 Sheldon dual... Also competes on club scene for Sacramento Valley Endurance... Plans on majoring in nursing with a minor in French, a language for which she serves as St. Francis' club secretary... California Scholarship Federation and National Honor Roll member.
AVA STIMSON
WATER POLO • UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO
Lettered in both water polo and swimming... Two-time All-Delta League (2021, 2022), two-year USAWP Academic All-American (2020, 2021) and three-time team Offensive Player of the Year (2019, 2021, 2022)... Scored 49 goals on JV squad as a freshman, 39 for varsity as a junior, then netted a career-best 60 as a senior... Also totaled 17 assists in each of two varsity seasons with 46 total steals... Helped team advance to second round of Sac-Joaquin Section Div. II bracket... Scored seven goals vs. Bella Vista, plus six each vs. Christian Brothers, Rocklin, Dixon and Atwater (SJS playoffs) in her best games as a senior... Played club ball for American River and Cal Republic... Plans on majoring in environmental studies and political science while playing for Varsity Blues... Took part in Speech, Delta 7 H2O, Christian Service Leadership, Young Independents Club and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee... Plays baritone sax for revived SF band... Volunteered with Divine Savior, Surfrider Foundation, Sacramento Tree Foundation and American River Parkway Foundation.
DAPHNE WITHERELL
CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK & FIELD • AMHERST COLLEGE
Lettered in track and cross country... Three-time All-Delta League performer in cross country... Won team's Strength Award as a senior... Won Cordova site of HOKA Postal Nationals with 3,200 PR of 11:11.9... Placed 3rd at Delta League, 14th at Sac-Joaquin Section Championships and 38th at CIF State Championships in final cross season... Previously took 4th in 2021, 8th in 2019 at league championship (no meet in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic)... Prior to senior year, placed 16th overall and fifth among freshmen at 2019 CIF-SJS D-2 championship... Member of Troubie squad at state meet in both 2019 (6th) and 2021 (8th)... In track season, qualified for Invitational 3,200 at this year's Sacramento Meet of Champions... Placed 4th in Open 3,200 at MOC as a junior... Hit PR of 11:22.62 at Bella Vista's Distance Carnival (not counting HOKA time from cross country)... Member of both 4xmile and distance medley relays at esteemed Arcadia Invitational on April 8... Also runs for Sacramento Valley Endurance club... Completed 100 service hours at St. Francis... Plans on majoring in pre-law at Amherst.
